Patagioenas Picazuro-2

''Patagioenas'' is a genus of New World pigeons whose distinctness from the genus ''Columba'' was long disputed but ultimately confirmed. It is basal to the ''Columba''-'' Streptopelia'' radiation. Their ancestors diverged from that lineage probably over 8 million years ago. While the biogeographic pattern of this group suggests that the ancestors of the typical pigeons and turtle-doves settled the Old World from the Americas, ''Patagioenas'' may just as well be the offspring of Old World pigeons which only radiated into different genera later, given that the cuckoo-doves ('' Macropygia'') of Southeast Asia also seem to be closely related.Johnson ''et al.'' (2001), Cheke (2005)

Taxonomy

The genus ''Patagioenas'' was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853 with the white-crowned pigeon (''Patagioenas leucocephala'') as the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ''patageō'' meaning "to clatter" and ''oinas'' meaning "pigeon".

There are 17 species of ''Patagioenas'', which can be assigned to 4 groups based on mtDNA cytochrome ''b'', cytochrome ''c'' oxidase subunit I, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2, as well as the nuclear β-fibrinogen intron 7 data combined with analyses of vocalizations and morphology. They could be considered subgenera, but one of them remains unnamed as such and thus they are only informally listed here:Johnson ''et al.'' (2001), Mahler & Tubaro (2001)

''caribaea''/band-tailed group (''Chloroenas''): Tails with terminal bands and iridescent neck; rows of low single coos. Apparently the most basal group.
* Band-tailed pigeon, ''Patagioenas fasciata''
* Chilean pigeon, ''Patagioenas araucana''
* Ring-tailed pigeon, ''Patagioenas caribaea''

''leucocephala'' group (''Patagioenas sensu stricto''): Iridescent neck and dark plumage, or white edged outer wing coverts, or scaly appearance; groups of triple coos with the first call in each drawn out except in ''speciosa''
* White-crowned pigeon, ''Patagioenas leucocephala''
* Scaly-naped pigeon, ''Patagioenas squamosa''
* Scaled pigeon, ''Patagioenas speciosa''
* Picazuro pigeon, ''Patagioenas picazuro''
* Bare-eyed pigeon, ''Patagioenas corensis''
* Spot-winged pigeon, ''Patagioenas maculosa''

''cayennensis'' group: No display plumage except iridescent head in ''cayennensis''; groups of double or triple coos with the first call in each short
* Pale-vented pigeon, ''Patagioenas cayennensis''
* Red-billed pigeon, ''Patagioenas flavirostris''
* Maranon pigeon, ''Patagioenas oenops''
* Plain pigeon, ''Patagioenas inornata''

''plumbea'' group (''Oenoenas''): Small size, plain plumage, rounded tails, small bills, phrase composed of high single coos
* Plumbeous pigeon, ''Patagioenas plumbea''
* Ruddy pigeon, ''Patagioenas subvinacea''
* Short-billed pigeon, ''Patagioenas nigrirostris''
* Dusky pigeon, ''Patagioenas goodsoni''

A fossil species (Curtis pigeon) initially placed in ''Chloroenas'', ''Patagioenas micula'' (Early Pliocene of Curtis Ranch, USA) is known. A small member of this genus, it probably indeed belonged to the band-tailed group.

Footnotes

Sources

* Cheke, Anthony S. (2005). Naming segregates from the ''Columba–Streptopelia'' pigeons following DNA studies on phylogeny. '' Bull. B.O.C.'' 125(4): 293–295
PDF fulltext
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* Mahler, Bettina & Tubaro, Pablo L. (2001). Relationship between song characters and morphology in New World pigeons. '' Biol. J. Linn. Soc.'' 74(4): 533–539. (HTML abstract)

Further reading

* Couve, E. & Vidal, C. (2003): ''Aves de Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego y Península Antártica''.
Editorial Fantástico Sur Birding Ltda

{{Taxonbar, from=Q468569

Bird genera
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Taxa named by Ludwig Reichenbach